62 
Salisbury. — Variation in E rant his hyemalis , 
here expressed that high calyx numbers are frequently associated with alow, 
perianth number. But the examples given (cf. Fig. 10, G and H) show that the 
absent petal in each case is a member of the inner whorl and not of the outer. 
Hence one cannot be dealing with 
an 
underlying cause is doubtless nutrition. 
instance of transformation. The 
The sepals being large in number 
and the first parts of the flower 
to develop, have entailed a drain 
upon the nutrition which is met 
by an absence of fission in the 
corolla, or even, as in these cases, 
a suppression of one member. 
(2) The corolla. The num- 
ber of petals ranges from four 
to eleven, although eight is much 
the most* frequent. A study of 
the diagrams (Fig. 10) of several 
of the more conspicuous variants, 
as also of quite normal flowers, 
shows that the multifarious types 
presented are all explicable on 
the assumption that the corolla 
is typically trimerous, but that 
two members of the inner whorl, 
and sometimes all three, exhibit 
fission into two separate seg- 
ments. The numbering of the 
petals in the diagrams is based 
on this assumption. More rarely 
the outer corolla whorl also ex- 
hibits fission (cf. Pi, P2, Fig. 10, e). 
Eichler regarded these supernu- 
merary members in both Ficaria 
verna. and Anemone hepatica as 
independent additional members, 
but in the latter species admits the 
occurrence of more or less fused 
members (Eichler, 1875 , Bd. I, 
p. 158). Such cases of partial 
fission (cf. Fig. ii,g) have been observed by the writer in several specimens, 
and their position fully warrants the assumption that they represent two 
members which in the more common condition are distinct. Very rarely 
additional nectary-bearing petals are present which must, from their 
position with regard to the staminal orthostichies and the other perianth 
Fig. 10. Ficaria verna. Empirical diagrams 
showing arrangement of the perianth segments and 
stamens. The numbers indicate the order of de- 
hiscence. ki'-kT indicate fission products of the 
calyx-segments normally present (KI-K3). 
